Samuel g-



vnarrower than the sieve-box.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

S. G. RICE, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

SNUFF-SIFTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,9711, dated NovemberS, 1864.

To all uhom 'it may concern Be it known that I, S. G. RICE, of the cityand county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Snnft' Disintegrators and Sitters; and [do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view of my invention.Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a ltransversesection of the saine.

The same lettersof reference in the several figures indicatecorresponding parts.

The main object of-my invention is to sift snuff that has been dampenedor moistened by the scentin g-liquid that is used in its manufacture 5but it may also be usefully employed for sifting anything-for which asieve is used, more particularly pulverized substances which have frommoisture or dampness assumed a lumpy form in their removal from onevessel or receiver into another.

My invention consists in the combination with a screening-sieve of afree breaker in such manner that the breaker vibrates and acts with asliding or both a sliding and rolling friction upon thescreening-surface of the sieve, and in thus operating causes theparticles of snuff or other substances to be disintegrated, and alsofacilitates the passage of the same through the meshes of the screen.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A designates an ordinary rectangular sieve or screen. It may be vibratedby hand or by gearing, as deemed preferable.

B is a breaker formed of longitudinal and transverse bars c a, and b b bb. This breaker in its transverse section on its under sidemay be thesegment of a circle, so as to roll or rock in a direction. at rightangles to that in which it traverses the screen. The length oi thebreaker should be much less than that of the screen or sieve box, inorder that it may have sufficient traverse on the sieve to produce thedesired result. It may also be somewhat So far as the longitudinaltraverse is concerned, it is important that the amount of play allowedthe breaker should be as great, if not greater, than the distancebetween each pair of transverse bars. By preserving these proportionsthe whole surface of the sieve or screen will be acted upon by theseveral transverse bars during each vibration of the breaker.

By examining the drawingsit will be seen that the breaker is arrangedupon the sieve or screening surface and is free of all suspendingconnections, and therefore,when the sievebox is vibrated or tossed backand forward, it will also receive a similar motion, and, it beingshorter than the sieve, will slide with a frictional contact upon thescreeningsurface until it is arrested by the ends of the sievebox. Italso will have a slight lateral movement as it traverses the sievelongitudinally, and in some instances it may roll back and forth towardthe sides of the sieve-box. These actions ot the breaker cause theaccumulated particles of snuff or other pulverized substance te bedisintegrated and the passage of the same through the screen to befacilitated. Further than this, the breaker causes the scent to bediffused more generally throughout the snuff. And fin-all y, thebrea-ker keeps the meshes ot' the screen free and open, its frictionalcontact and concussive force ef fecting this result.

I have found in practice that the same quantity and a better quality ofsnuff can be made77 or sifted iu twenty minutes by one person with myimproved sieve or screen as could be made in the old way in a whole dayand with the attendance of two persons.

I deem it necessary for my protection to say that while I haveparticularly described one style of breaker, and which I believe thebest for the purpose named., I do not limit myself to this particularform, as many equivalent forms of free7 breakers maybe adopted and thesame operate on the same general principle set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The combination of a free breaker with a screen or sieve,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The constructing of the free breaker of longitudinal and transversebars in such main ner that in its Vibration over the screeningsurfacethe whole of such surface shall be treversed, substantially asdescribed.

3. Constructing the free breaker of segment form on its under side in atransverse direction, substantially es and for the purpose set forth.

4. So constructing a. free breaker and using it in a vibmtable sieve orscreen that it will traverse the screen longitudinally and laterally andalso rock or roll transversely, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL G. RICE.

Vitnesses RoBT. STEWART, C. L. WOODRUFF.

